On Thursday, May 18, Ella Carter ’23 stood at the podium on Sevigny Field and recounted her postgraduate year to classmates, parents, families, faculty, and staff.

Carter joked that, during the first semester, she and the other 18 postgraduates were simply on “a business trip,” initially sharing very little information about themselves with one another and keeping conversation to a minimum.

But when she left for winter recess, she realized she had formed bonds with each of her fellow postgraduates. “When we returned, I found myself wanting to learn more about these individuals. We shared photos, stories from our respective high schools, looked up each other’s homes on Zillow, and slowly began sharing some meals.”

By the time that the annual Postgraduate Ceremony arrived, the group of students had formed an everlasting bond.

“This business trip that I had originally embarked on is now over, having become much more than the acquisition of the grades, the college acceptance, the commitment, the stats and, instead, an unexpected opportunity for connection with 18 individuals,” Carter concluded.

Jeremy Imperati, a postgraduate of the Class of 2017 and admission associate, spoke to the group in part about St. Ignatius, whose statue can be found in the middle of Fordham University’s campus — where Imperati went after his PG year at CA.

“Ignatius was a man of great passion, and so he inspired his young Jesuits to think boldly, to imagine creatively, to love enthusiastically, to labor tirelessly, and to give generously,” Imperati said. “As I have thought more about St. Ignatius, it makes me appreciate the people and the places, such as Cheshire Academy, that have shaped me, and inspired me to think, to love, to give, and to grow.”

Following the presentation of certificates, Head of School Julie Anderson P’19,’23 addressed the audience of family, friends, faculty, and staff. Anderson reflected on the postgraduates’ time at CA and the experience they shared.

“This past year you have lived, played, studied, and created friendships with students from many different states and countries … I hope when you look back at your time at Cheshire Academy that you will do so remembering the stories that have shaped you,” Anderson said.

Lavon Johnson ’23 was named this year’s Armando Simosa ’08 Award recipient. The award is given annually to a postgraduate student who has embraced the values of CA exemplified by the Eight Pillars of Bowden, who has displayed significant academic growth, and who has participated enthusiastically in the extracurricular life of the school. The award is in memory of Simosa, a postgraduate from Venezuela who embraced everything CA had to offer. Simosa died tragically in 2009.

See more photos from the ceremony on our Flickr photo gallery.